The Reason Why I Am Hiding From Tom In My Bed
by 5redroses
Summary: Set after Forever Rose. Rose is finding Growing Up tough.


The Reason Why I Am Hiding From Tom In My Bed

By Permanent Rose Casson

It is the end of The Summer Holidays, right before I start Big School. Tom is flying back to America tomorrow (they start school later in new York) and this afternoon Mummy and Daddy and Caddy and Michael and Buttercup (except Caddy says We Really Must Stop Calling Him That) and Indigo and Sarah and Saffy and Oscar and David and Tom and me all went for a picnic in The Countryside. Saffy said Wear this Pale Green Dress Rose, It Won't Show The Grass Stains. HA.

The picnic was very nice, David made a quiche and Michael made Iced Tea (with sliced not whole lemons) and there were sandwiches and strawberries and lemonade and pineapple and chocolate cake. Sarah's mum made the chocolate cake. I think she should become a baker fulltime and stop working in The Rich Kids School (although I do not call it that when I talk to her as Saffy says it would be rude) because her cakes are so amazing.

Indy and Tom brought their guitars (David's drum kit remained in the shed where it has been since last Christmas; Mummy now does her Not Exactly Art with Daddy at his shop) and after we ate all the food (as much as we could eat and then David ate the rest) they went to the woods are started playing a song that they are working on for Indigo's Star (which is the name of their band) (David stayed and talked to Daddy about Gourmet Cooking and Indigo's friend Jamie Oliver). I went with them and watched and so did Sarah who came and sat on Indigo's lap as he played. After a bit I felt sleepy and lay down and closed my eyes. And when I opened them again Indigo and Sarah had disappeared (probably to go and do Things That They Think I am Too Young To Understand) and I was left by myself with Tom who was sitting in a tree and trickling chords.

"Hello there Permanent Rose. So you're alive, I was worried I'd bored you to death with my playing," he said.

No his playing is lovely, like a lullaby, that is why I fell asleep. He smiled, pleased. I asked if I could climb up and sit with him and he said, "Of course," and reached out his hand to help me up. When I climbed up I stumbled and fell on Tom's lap but he didn't seem to mind so I sat on his lap while he played the guitar like Sarah does with Indigo and for five minutes I was

PERFECTLY

HAPPY.

And then I noticed The Blood.

I must have gone very still because Tom asked me, "Rose is there something wrong?" I didn't answer. He noticed where I was looking. "Rose?! You're bleeding, where are you hurt?" I stood up, clutching at branches and saw the blood on the back of my dress and on Tom's jeans and noticed the wetness between my legs and suddenly I knew where the blood was coming from but there was No Way I was telling tom so I ran and got Caddy. Caddy was brilliant. She got me a plastic bag to sit on and drove me home in record time (for Caddy, that is) and while I had my shower she found me clean clothes to wear and put stain removery stuff on my dress and pants and afterwards she sorted me out with a pad and showed me where they are kept in the bathroom. Caddy offered to take me back to the picnic but I didn't want to go and anyway there would have been No Point as it has just started to rain and so Caddy has left to go and ferry people home in the car.

And

That

Is

Why

I

Am

Hiding

From

Tom

In

My

Bed.

I am perfectly fine in here; I am reading The Period Book (which Caddy gave me) under the covers with a torch like Harry Potter, but for Some Reason my family seem to think that they need to keep Butting In and Disturbing My Peace.

"Rose darling," Mummy knocks on the door, "Rose I'm here if you want to talk sweetie and we've put stain remover on Tom's jeans and they're as good as new and he doesn't mind one bit." I burrow even further under the covers. Saffy tries next, "Rose why don't you come downstairs, we're all having ice cream and Tom's saved you some." I remain silent. She goes away. Next is Indy. "Rosie-Pose, Tom is leaving tomorrow and he'll be sad if he misses out on seeing you on his last day." No answer. Indy goes away. There is another knock at the door.

"Just Go AWAY! I am sick of hearing about how much Tom wants to see me," I yell. The door opens.

"Well that's good," says an American voice, "Because I'm going to show you how much I want to see you instead." And I hear him walk over to the bed and feel it deep slightly as he sits on the end where my feet don't reach. He doesn't say anything else, just sits there playing his guitar. After a while, when he seems to be completely absorbed in the music, I poke my head out of the top of my duvet so that I can hear him better. He doesn't say anything, just smiles at me and puts down his guitar. And I can't help it, I launch myself at him and he holds me and rocks me and strokes my hair and for some reason he goes even more blurred than usual when he says,

"Only for you, Permanent Rose."


End file.
